Sri Lankan Watalappan (Cardamom Spiced Coconut Custard)

Name: Sri Lankan Watalappan (Cardamom Spiced Coconut Custard)
Yield: 8 1/2
Ingredients: 4 whole eggs; 2 egg yolks; 1/2 lb natural dark brown molasses sugar or finely grated kitul jaggery; ⅛ cup hot water; 3 -4 cardamom pod seeds crushed; ¼ tsp of nutmeg; 2 cups of thick coconut milk (First press milk); Pinch of salt

User Reviews

5.0

60 reviews

Excellent

Servings
8 1/2
Calories
267 kcal
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
Sri Lankan

Sri Lankan Watalappan (Cardamom Spiced Coconut Custard)

Ursula Nguyen

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Watalappan is a classic Sri Lankan dessert! It's a deliciously creamy baked cardamom spiced coconut custard that is sweetened with unrefined jaggery or sugar!

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Ingredients

Servings

4 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 lb natural dark brown molasses sugar or finely grated kitul jaggery
⅛ cup hot water
3 -4 cardamom pod seeds crushed just over ¼ tsp
¼ tsp of nutmeg (If using fresh nutmeg, use less as it will be more potent)
2 cups of thick coconut milk (First press milk) if the coconut milk is lumpy - which can happen in cold weather - warm it up to dissolve the lumps
Pinch of salt

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 320°F / 160°C
Oil and prepare 7-8, ½ cup capacity ramekins.
in a large bowl combine the sugar and water and stir until it becomes a paste with no lumps (the sugar does not need to dissolve completely)
Add the eggs and egg yolk, spices and salt and whisk until well combined - i.e. till the egg mixture becomes very slightly thick (not the “ribbony stage,” just enough to thoroughly mix the sugar and eggs). Take care not to make the egg mixture frothy.
Add the 2 cups of coconut milk and whisk well.
Pour the mix into the prepared ramekins (or a large dish if you prefer). Cover the ramekins / dish with foil.
Bake the ramekins/dish in a water bath for about 30 - 40 minutes for the ramekins and up to an hour if in a large dish, depending on the depth of it. You want the custard to set, but the middle to be very slightly wobbly.
Remove from the oven and let them cool for about 15 minutes in the water bath.
When cool enough to handle, remove them from the water bath and cover the ramekins with plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 3 hours (longer for larger dishes). Best chilled overnight.
Serve as is, or with some cashew nuts on top.

Notes

Note - some watalappan recipes add raisins and cashew nuts into the custard. You can also do this if you like. Personally I'm not a big fan of it.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Serving 0.5cup Calories 267kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 30g (10%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 2g Trans Fat 0.01g Cholesterol 130mg (43%) Sodium 85mg (4%) Potassium 199mg (6%) Fiber 0.01g (0%) Sugar 28g (56%) Vitamin A 184IU (4%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 52mg (5%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 81/2

Amount Per Serving

Calories 267 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving	0.5cup
Calories	267kcal	13%
Carbohydrates	30g	10%
Protein	5g	10%
Fat	16g	25%
Saturated Fat	12g	60%
Polyunsaturated Fat	1g	6%
Monounsaturated Fat	2g	10%
Trans Fat	0.01g	1%
Cholesterol	130mg	43%
Sodium	85mg	4%
Potassium	199mg	4%
Fiber	0.01g	0%
Sugar	28g	56%
Vitamin A	184IU	4%
Vitamin C	1mg	1%
Calcium	52mg	5%
Iron	3mg	17%